Walsh's gaffe is especially harsh after he was set up to play hero, building an early 9-0 lead with kicks from 47, 43 and 22 yards through a biting cold.

His final attempt, though, saw the snap come in a tad high, with the laces facing in on punter Jeff Locke's hold. Former NFL kicker Jay Feely tweeted that lace direction "shouldn't" kill the kick from such a short distance, but acknowledged: "It impacts you physically and psychologically."

No words can console Walsh, his team or this endlessly battered fan base. The Vikings were fifth in Dan Hanzus' Pain Rankings for a reason, but after this latest disaster, they're only climbing that list of dread.